Art's Message
Vision 2010: New England’s Partnership in Preparedness
The Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 addressed every aspect of emergency management and re-instituted the importance of preparedness into our agency. Under Chief Paulison's direction, FEMA has reorganized to become more proactive, nimble and forward-leaning.
At FEMA Region I, we're on a campaign. We have a new initiative: Vision 2010. This is a specific strategy to improve preparedness. This initiative stresses a full educational preparedness program aimed at government agencies on every level, communities of all sizes, down to each family and individual citizen. .
Vision 2010 will define the roles and responsibilities of each department of state and federal government. The private sector also plays an integral role. At FEMA, we've been conducting an ongoing GAP analysis to examine any shortfalls. In the private sector, you continue to improve and upgrade your business continuity plan. The sharing of collected information from private sector to local community to state to federal government is vital in our mutual preparedness. Collectively, we understand our interdependencies.
At the local level, improving interoperable communications is something first responders have made a top priority. There has been an influx of new response equipment, from Mobile Command Vans and improved fire response equipment to a major overhaul in HAZMAT. In addition, local responders have worked on protocol and procedures with neighboring communities, as well as their state and federal partners. These protocols provide a full understand of the "roles and responsibilities" critical in any response. This will help put into place a system to fill the gaps in response and recovery.
Probably the most critical aspect of making Vision 2010 a success will be how this initiative captures an interest at the individual level. Working closely with each state's Emergency Management Agency, we're trying to enable communities to teach preparedness at the individual level, in a sustained twelve month program. This is where the private sector's participation can greatly improve our overall effectiveness.
One thing that I've asked of all of our employees within our region and would recommend to my friends in the business community is to prepare a disaster readiness kit and a family emergency plan. It is vital that we as citizens prepare including food, water, essential medicines and documents.
I can honestly tell you that I'm a highly prepared individual; not because I am the Regional Administrator or because I was the State Director in Maine, but because of who I am. When I say you must have a three day supply of food and water - I've got that; cases of MREs and bottled water. My generator failed during the Ice Storm of '98. Now I have a 7500 Kilowatt generator with an electric starter, enough to provide power for two homes. Like most, I have an oil heat furnace as my primary heating source. In addition to a fireplace and wood-stove, I recently added a propane heater as a backup. I also keep 30 gallons of gasoline on hand at all times.
That covers food, water, home heating and fuel. How about communications? I have established a family plan that includes a rally point and a primary contact number. I encourage you to get additional helpful information on preparedness at Ready.gov. Being prepared means that we can better ensure our family's health and well-being. We realize that individual preparedness can only go so far and that often government support is a necessity. But, as citizens and business leaders, we need to do our part and make sure that our families and employees are prepared to be self-sufficient for a minimum of 72 hours post-disaster before additional help can arrive from a local, state or federal agency.
This can only be built from the ground up - from the local and business community to the state, on up to the federal level. This is not a simple campaign and it will not happen overnight. But in the end, we must all work together to make preparedness a priority. The safety and security of our families and community demand that we succeed.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 30-Oct-2007 17:50:30 EDT